Today, 27 August 2010, after days of flat lighting interspersed with torrential rain, we had sunshine, and I headed off to the tiny hamlet of Rushock in Worcestershire. The wet weather has seen me updating and editing a stockpile of images for various RF sites and pondering on what we could add to bring a bit of variety and uniqueness to our offerings. About 18 months ago, in idle chit-chat with Sue, and how we got round to the subject I don’t know, we were discussing the fact that John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham, the drummer with Led Zeppelin was buried in Rushock churchyard and that his grave has become something of a shrine for rock pilgrims.
Prior to his death in 1980, I was working at the MOD, and had the task of preparing Bonham’s annual licence for the supply of water to his home at Upper Hyde from what was then the ‘two-five maintenance unit RAF Hartlebury’, now a trading estate.
Having done some image searching on the net and found only a scant offering of photographs of Bonzo’s headstone I decided to add a few more of my own.
I like to immerse myself in the atmosphere of any project I start, sort of like an actor living his part I guess, it helps me with both the creative side and technical accuracy, a sort of spiritual ritual of discipline, so to get the ball rolling I called into The Chequers, on the main road near the church, narrowly avoiding closing time at 3pm.
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Why The Chequers?
This is where, it is alleged, on the last day of his life, John Bonham stopped off for his final breakfast consisting of eight double vodka and oranges and a couple of ham rolls before being driven by Led Zep assistant Rex King to Bray Studios for rehearsals.
The headstone is quite small and beginning to show the effects of attrition. A good deal of weathering and lichen growth over the last thirty years have partly obscured the inscription, but its impossible to miss the grave.
At one time, I understand, rock fans, mainstream heavy metal bands, and household name musicians would leave a set of drumsticks on the grave, their own mark of tribute to the man considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music by other musicians. Bonham used drum sets by Ludwig and selected the longest and heaviest drumsticks available which he affectionately referred to as ‘trees’. When at home at Upper Hide, his drum practice could be heard on still summer nights resounding around the fields and meadows and has been described as reminiscent of the sound of Africa.
The drumsticks left at John Bonhams grave now stand stacked in two neat piles to the left and right of the back of the headstone, kept in place by stakes formed out of yet more drumsticks.
There is other memorabilia. Coins, mostly foreign, scattered at the foot of the stone and placed on top, five Cd’s in jewel cases, backstage passes, key rings, toy cars, even a silver bracelet, and, oddly, a child’s pink pencil sharpener and a pair of white socks . A lot of this stuff appears almost weekly.
The first thing to catch my eye was one solitary drumstick. It looked as though it had recently been left there. In pristine condition and hermetically sealed in plastic, placed at the front of the headstone, it was inscribed simply in red, ‘From [the] Scorpions to Led Zeppelin’.
Ironically, as the lyrics of 'Wind of Change' drifted through my mind A blustering squall burst through the yews on the edge of the graveyard, a small eddy spun a swirl of brown leaves and the petals of withered dead flowers around me.
I bracketed out 40 frames and left.
